Remember Me
by Yuuki Miyaka
Summary: [incomplete, angst, deathfic] A Shadow Tribe story. There's a monster threatening the holt.
1. Chapter One

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter One  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

_**Note: This story takes place approximately sixteen years after Foolish Games. For those of you keeping track, Ebony and Windrunner have been lifemates for about fifteen and a half years and Laughter, Ebony's cub, is about fourteen years old.**_

Ebony grinned at her cubling. Although the two had little enough in common, they loved each other dearly, and it was that love that prompted Ebony to tousle the cub's hair now. Laughter just wrinkled her nose, hugging her mother softly. Ebony's harsh face softened. In the past sixteen years, the storyweaver had found more than simple companionship here. She had found a true home, filled with friends and family she loved. And speaking of family, she turned to Windrunner, looking at him solemnly. Once she had accepted him as part of her life, she found that she didn't want to leave him. Not even to hunt.

But she enjoyed hunting, and she would drive him insane if she chose to be beside him every moment. So she held out her hand, and he took it, pulling her to him. "Hurry back," he whispered into her hair, and she curled around him. 

"I won't be long. And I'll find us something good for the tribemeet tonight." The brush of her cheek along his, and then she was out of his arms, laughing as she ran into the forest. He watched her go, smiling gently before turning back to the Holt. Laughter grabbed his hand, walking with him.

* * *

Ebony tossed her curls, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She was getting tired of staying still, but the deer was not quite in her range, and its ears pricked every time she moved, so she couldn't get closer. She waited, breathing slowly and quietly. And suddenly, there was a crash from behind her. She jumped, and the deer sped off, running far from her post. Mumbling her curses softly, she turned, and her breath stopped.

It was huge. Talons as long as her arm and thick as her waist adorned each of its four paws. Its teeth were long, and glittered sharply in the sunlight. Yellow-green eyes traced her every movement, and she held her breath. The skin it wore seemed to be a distressing conglomeration of scales, fur, and feathers. In fact, it seemed a disturbing mix of snake, jackal, and vulture. It sniffed the air once, and then spoke into her head.

::Elf,:: it said, and Ebony swallowed heavily. ::I know your kind. It was your kind that created me.:: Under its Sending, she could feel the heavy anger. It didn't want to exist, and blamed her for it. ::You will pay now.:: Ebony was frightened. The creature's anger was so bright that the Sending was painful, and she didn't know if her skills were sufficient to protect her and the tribe.

The tribe! If the creature hated elves as much as she believed, then the tribe, *her* tribe, was in danger. She couldn't accept that. There was nothing else to do. She had to destroy the creature before it could hurt her family.

::What are you?:: she asked, trying to stall as she considered how to attack. There was no way an aggressive attack would work. The creature would only go on the defensive, and with claws and teeth like that, Ebony wouldn't last a moment. She knew it, too. 

At her question, the creature regarded her curiously. And then the animosity grew to evil malevolence. It didn't answer, but instead swiped at her with one of it's paws. With a cry of startled terror, Ebony leapt out of its way, and the talons missed her by a good bit. She responded by pulling out her sword, pretending that it wasn't quite as small as it truly was. She was worried now.

Blowing some curls out of her eyes, she leapt again, attacking the creature's arm. She got a good swipe in before the creature backhanded her. She hit the tree, and slid down, falling to the ground gasping, wondering how many ribs were broken, and whether Winterleaf knew how to set them properly. Desperate to catch her breath, she didn't see the creature's good paw come down until it had swiped at her legs. The talons caught her on the top of her shins, and deep gashes appeared. 

Ebony tried to stand, hoping to think past the pain. But it was no use. She couldn't move beyond her knees, and kneeling, she looked up at the beast. It would kill her now, and there was nothing she could do about it . . . .


	2. Chapter Two

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter Two  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

Tears poured freely down her face. The pain was unbearable. Her chest felt as though iron bands were trapping it, her legs were on fire, and she couldn't breathe. And the monster before her was not even breathing heavily. She looked up at it, knowing that it could kill her at any time. But it merely regarded her.

She tried to school her mind into some semblance of control and concentration. If she warned her tribe, then some of them would come to save her. Like ShadowWalker. And Itesa. And Windrunner. And . . . and Laughter. As soon as she realized it, realized that her headstrong daughter would try to fight this monster herself, Ebony realized what she had to do. She had to destroy the monster herself, before she could allow it to threaten anyone else that she loved.

She formed a question in her mind, and the creature answered it as though she had spoken. It could see her thoughts. ::Your kind created me. That's why I hate you. And I will make you as miserable as I am now.:: It melded its mind with hers for a brief moment, and she cried out. It was in pain. Horrible, wretched pain that would kill many others. And it had lived with that pain, pain borne of the melding of its three bodies into one, from the moment it was created. It could move beyond that pain and destroy many other creatures, but had chosen not to, instead reserving its hatred and deathdealing for the elves that it blamed for its existence.

She cried out at the pain of the melding, and then the channel into its mind was destroyed, and Ebony was left alone in her own body, sobbing harshly. And she heard, within her mind, its laughter. The creature was enjoying her torment.

"I will not let you take me!" she screamed, suddenly surging to her feet and running at it. Blood poured from her shins, but she ignored it, instead concentrating on the creature. As she ran at it, the creature merely gazed at her, watching as it might watch a particularly interesting bug. Ebony ignored its stare, launching herself into a jump at it, only to have it swat her away like said bug. She tumbled into a tree again. This time, the bark of the tree cut her back as it had her leathers when she slid down it. She was losing, and losing badly. 

Her sword slipped out of her hand, and her head lolled softly to one side. She couldn't keep this up, couldn't continue to defend the tribe. And the reason she couldn't was because she would soon be dead. Her chest heaved, and her eyes met the eyes of the beast before her. It watched her, then spoke. ::Perhaps you have suffered enough, Elf. Perhaps you understand now what your kind has done to me.::

It turned away from her, and she dared a tentative Sending. ::Now that I understand, will you let us be? You surely cannot blame all elves for the work of a few.:: If she could just make it see that they were not to blame, perhaps she could make it out of here with her life intact. And she wanted to live. Like never before, she had a reason to live, and she was not willing to give that up without a fight. 

::You are only the first, Elf.:: The creature's implacable hatred chilled her, and she nearly sobbed in frustration. She could see the opening of its back turned toward her, and yet she could do nothing because she had no strength. But desperation lent the power to her that otherwise she would not have had.

Her hand reached out, ever so slowly, gripping the sword she had so recently dropped, and she stood in pain, wobbling. If she could just make it the few steps to the monster, then everything would be over. One killing step, then another, and another, and suddenly she was in front of the monster.

She bent at the knees, then leapt, and her sword buried itself to the hilt in the creature's side. Howling in pain, the monster grabbed her, and she held onto the sword as it pulled her away from its side. Thanks to the monster's grip, the sword dragged down its side, cutting it wide open. And she knew that there was no way that it would survive that.

It shrieked, and its talons pierced her. She could feel the pain, and then everything went numb. 


	3. Chapter Three

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter Three  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

The snow-haired woman moved gracefully through the forest. Her once-white leathers were dingy with dirt and sweat and travel, and her long hair was escaping from the ponytail that she had confined it into at the beginning of the day. She stepped over another root, wondering if she would ever see an end to her journey. But even if she found her sister, she would never know it. She felt certain of that. It had been over two hundred years since they had last seen each other, and the woman knew that she, at least, had changed.

Suddenly, she heard a frightening shriek. Without thought, she ran toward the sound. And when she got there, she saw some sort of creature laying on the ground dying. And not too far from it was an elf, still breathing shallowly. Now that she was close, she could hear the abortive attempts at Sending from the dying elf. And the woman ran over to the other girl, catching her up in her arms.

"You'll be okay," the white-haired woman murmured, not really noticing anything other than the horrible wounds of the elf-girl in her arms. She smoothed back short, black curls, tears slipping out of her eyes. She didn't know this elf, and she was crying over the woman. Pain-glazed eyes cleared momentarily, staring up at her. . . .

* * *

Ebony looked at the woman holding her, for a long moment believing that Itesa had come to her rescue. But . . . no. That was not what happened. Instead, it was some unknown woman, someone holding her but making no move to Heal her. Obviously, the woman was no Healer. But who, and what, was she?

Ebony lifted her head, trying to speak for a few moments before giving up. As her head fell back into the stranger's arms, she caught the slightest flash of panic in the woman's gaze, and she grinned weakly. She knew what the woman was not telling her, that she was dying. And she knew why, as well. She had saved her tribe, the most important thing in the world to her. And in doing so, she had rescued her lifemate and daughter. In the end, it was worth it.

Dark curls fell into her eyes, and the ice-haired woman pushed the locks away. Ebony's eyes caught the woman's, and the dark huntress took in her opposite. Where Ebony's hair was black, this woman's was white. Where Ebony's eyes were black, this woman's were such a light grey that Ebony almost wondered if she were blind. Ebony wore straight black, thanks to Liyra, whereas this woman wore white and light grey. Ebony could tell that even under all the dirt from the roads she had travelled. Ebony preferred functional clothing, pants and a shirt. The woman seemed to enjoy wearing a short skirt and top. 

Ebony gasped softly, trying to breathe past the pain. And Ebony could see the understanding in the woman's eyes. She could see what Ebony could not. She could see the damage, and that frightened her. Ebony's lips opened as she tried to speak, tried to ask how bad it was. But nothing came out. And the woman smoothed a curl back from Ebony's forehead. 

* * *

Snow-hair fell around them both, concealing them. And the woman stared down in misery at this elf. This should not be happening. She should be a Healer, instead of a MemoryWeaver. She should be able to do more than she was. It shouldn't happen that way. She saw the woman try to speak, and pressed a finger against the dark-haired woman's lips. Though there were no words between them, she knew that they didn't need words.

And then she felt a connection form in the back of her mind. Her eyes widened, and she stared down at the woman before her. She was a MemoryWeaver as well. The moment the snow- haired woman realized this truth, a dark chasm closed between their minds, and suddenly they were both caught up in each other's memories. It was like fire and ice coming together, and all they could do was hold on to each other and shake. . . .


	4. Chapter Four

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter Four  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

_*Ebony idly ran her fingers over her lifemate's chest. She loved this, loved laying here and watching him as he slowly awakened. She felt her chest constrict with warmth, and her smile threatened to split her face. This was right. As she touched him softly, she reflected that agreeing to be his lifemate had been the best idea she had ever had. Suddenly, his hand came up and captured hers. His eyes opened, and he smiled at her. "Morning, lifemate," he said. And he brought her hand to his lips, kissing the palm.*_

*She lay in bed, covered in her own sweat. Her breath came swift and heavy, but she couldn't keep from smiling. She was truly happy. Her grin widened as Windrunner came over to stand beside her, a tiny bundle of Liyra's softest leathers in his arms. He moved the bundle down until Ebony could see it, and with a smile turned back one of the flaps. As Ebony stared at her new daughter, a laugh borne of pure happiness bubbled up inside her. She let it out, and Windrunner looked over at her with a grin. "We'll call her Laughter," he said softly, and Ebony nodded, taking the cub in her own arms.*

*"So that's how you do it!" Itesa grinned over at Ebony, who nodded softly. "But that's too simple. It should be harder to weave stories." As Ebony lay on her back, Itesa mumbled. The storyweaver and rockshaper had little enough in common, so they were always looking for new things to attempt. Last time, it had been an attempt to learn how to love rocks. That hadn't worked so well. But this time, Ebony was teaching Itesa how to weave stories, which was, in her opinion, infinitely easier. And she grinned over at the rockshaper, who grinned right back. "Now it's my turn!" Itesa said, and began her own story.*

*"Ebony, Ebony!" Ebony's head turned as she regarded Winterleaf running toward her. Curious about all the yelling, Ebony still waited patiently for Winterleaf to reach her side. "LOOK!" Winterleaf said triumphantly, holding out her spear. On the tip of it was a fish, very obviously fresh. It wriggled once, then lay still, and Winterleaf danced around happily. "I did it! I did it all by myself!" And Ebony smiled, reaching out to ruffle Winterleaf's hair.*

*Ebony glanced at her companion, grinning softly. Her hand reached out to catch his, and he squeezed her hand gently. With a silent motion, he gestured toward the woods, and she nodded, leading him deeper in still. For someone as tall as he, she found he was surprisingly graceful. She envied that grace, and fell back a bit to watch how fluid he was as he wove his way through the trees and brush. Suddenly, he turned, staring at her for a long moment, then held out a hand. ::Coming, Aiyla?:: he asked in her mind, and she blushed softly. ::The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to our den.::*

*Ebony's eyes flashed fire, and she stared at the elf Challenging her. They were evenly matched, this ShadowWalker and she. But she had the strength of her tribe behind her, and though the other elves were not overtly helping her, their mere presence brought her the strength she needed. He could feel that. She knew that as surely as she knew her own Name. And she saw him run at her. In a moment, her arms were up. She allowed him to continue running, and just as he reached out to grab her, she took his hand in a strong grip, and used his own momentum to throw him over her onto the ground. In a flash, she was crouched on top of him, her hands gripping the front of his tunic. ::Give over,:: she demanded, and the elf looked away.*

*"See there?" Starsong's soft voice made Ebony smile, and the dark huntress turned her attention to the sky that Starsong pointed at. "That star starts the picture. Now follow it here, then to here, and . . . " As Starsong continued to trace the picture, Ebony stopped paying attention to the stars. She never saw pictures up there. Instead, she looked back over at her soul-sister, and grinned softly. It was a good evening, with such friends beside her.*

*Ebony and Starsong were walking along, chatting comfortably. Their gaze not on the road in front of them, they didn't see the small, white-haired elf barrelling towards them. When the youth hit Ebony, the dark huntress grabbed the girl by the scruff of the neck, hauling her just far enough away to get a good look. And something clicked within Ebony. The girl panted slightly, then gestured frantically to the pathway behind her. "B-boar!" she got out, and the dark huntress grinned. She handed the light-haired cub over to her soul-sister, then moved back down the path. Boar would be good for dinner.*

*Itesa dove into the river with the abandon that Winterleaf usually used, surprising Ebony. The dark huntress looked up, and Itesa grinned. Ebony scowled for a long time, then shook her head, swimming smoothly over to the desert-born rockshaper. Together, the two splashed and played, enjoying each other's company. And when it was over, they found large rocks near each other and talked as they sunned themselves. By the time they were done, the sun was low in the sky, and they rose to go back, still enjoying the last vestiges of the day they had spent in each other's company.*

*"She's getting bigger," Ebony said, watching her daughter play. "And Skeya's wonderful with her." At her words, Windrunner raised his head, smiling. He glanced over at Laughter, and a light came into his eyes that Ebony loved to see. "It seems like it wasn't that long ago that she was born." Windrunner set aside his carving, going over to the cub and sitter. And as Ebony watched, the two elves greet him, welcoming him into their game. This was her family, and she was proud of it.*

*Her head came up, and her eyes met 'Walker's. She grinned and blushed, looking away, and heard his laughter. He clapped a hand on her shoulder, then returned to working on the arrows for his bow. Ebony settled down beside the chief hunter, pulling out her knife and beginning to sharpen it. The easy companionship between them had not come without a cost, but it was more than worth it. Ebony found herself unable to imagine a tribe without ShadowWalker in it. In the past few seasons, he had become as important to her as anyone else in the tribe. And as the two of them worked side by side, they would glance up and smile, content in each other's company.*

*Ebony gazed around, taking in each of the other tribemembers as the first strains of Starsong's newest tune rang out. She noted all of the content expressions, and she smiled. It would seem that everyone agreed with Ebony. Starsong's music was as important to the well-being of the tribe as the hunters and fighters were. Her songs did what no one else in the tribe could. They reminded everyone of the companionship of being part of the Shadow Tribe. Everyone was caught up in the song, to the point that Ebony could have danced right in front of them and they wouldn't notice. That thought made Ebony smile. And as she looked around once more, Starsong caught Ebony's gaze and winked. This was happiness.*

*"Itesa?" Ebony's voice caught in her throat, and she thought of the items in her pocket. She fingered them carefully, then smiled. As the rockshaper looked up from her view of the waterfall, Ebony grinned. "I'd . . . I'd like to give you this." She held out a small rose-shaped stone. It was called a "Sunholt Rose," Ebony knew, thanks to Winterleaf. It was tiny, not large enough to do anything with, but it was lovely, and something told Ebony that Itesa would like it. In her pocket was one more gift, a necklace of leather with bright yellow sunflowers embossed on it, waited patiently for its own turn. But for now, Ebony wanted Itesa to see the "rose" first.*

*Ebony grinned at the look of shock on Mirage's face. He held up boots soaked through, and glared. ::That cub you teach is going to get a lesson in respecting her elders, Storyweaver!:: Mirage's anger was apparent, yet Ebony couldn't help but smile. She knew that Winterleaf was the instigator of many small pranks, and she couldn't blame the cub for letting off steam. If only she had been able to when she was a cub. As if in response to Ebony's thoughts, an eye located just below a thatch of soft, white hair grinned. And Ebony grinned back, going to placate Mirage.*

*Ebony's sides ached, her back hurt, and her feet were killing her. That was always the case these days. Her body was betraying her, and she couldn't always keep up the way she used to be able to. She wasn't young anymore, and she wasn't as strong. She sat on a fallen tree, staring out at the forest. She could hear someone come up behind her, but something told her it wasn't a human. For one thing, the footsteps were too soft. So she waited, not turning. She could only trust that whoever it was would leave her alone. But instead, two soft hands smoothed her shoulders, and then began to massage her neck. Ebony's eyes slid closed, then opened as she turned to see who was doing this for her. And she was greeted by the sight of a beautiful auburn-haired woman with violet eyes. The woman gestured impatiently, and Ebony turned back around, allowing the girl to continue her work.*

*ShadowWalker perched on the branch across from Ebony's. As she thought about lunch, her stomach rumbled softly, and 'Walker, with his keen ears, looked up in amusement. Red colored Ebony's face, but she just grinned back. ::We'll catch something good, Chieftess.:: The title still made Ebony uncomfortable, but she grinned back gamely. She knew that they would catch what they needed. They always did. She and 'Walker were the best hunting team in the holt.*

*Ebony's hands slipped around Laughter's shoulders, and she sighted with the bow. She watched from a bird's eye view as the young cub drew back the string and let the arrow fly. It landed two trees over from the one Laughter was supposed to hit, but Laughter only looked up at her mother and smiled. "I'm getting better, aren't I?" As she saw Ebony nod, Laughter motioned over at ShadowWalker. "It's 'cause of 'Walker, Mother. He's a good teacher." And Ebony only smiled at her daughter. She knew how good ShadowWalker was, just as she knew that Laughter was a good student. Her daughter. Ebony's throat closed off for a moment as she wondered how she and Windrunner could have produced such perfection.*

*"How DARE you?!" Ebony's voice was not soft, and her anger was not subtle. "Just because you show up out of the middle of nowhere doesn't mean that you can take over!" As she glared at Windrunner, he just stared back in dispassionate observation. "You know NOTHING about my life. You know NOTHING about what I want, or how I'm going to take care of things. And you don't care to find out, do you? You're not planning on staying here any more than you're planning on leaving our cub behind when you go, are you?" In answer, Windrunner took Ebony's chin in his hands, lifting her head until she stared straight into his eyes. And as she did so, he looked back at her. But rather than speaking, his answer was merely a kiss that left her shaken down to her boots.*

In Memory's arms, Ebony shuddered once more, and went limp. And Memory was suddenly pulled out of the memory-sharing to find a dead elf in her arms. As Memory regarded Ebony, she realized something. The memory-sharing had occurred because they were sisters . . .


	5. Chapter Five

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter Five  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

Memory's snow-colored hair was stained with blood, as was her skirt and top. But she paid it no heed, concentrating solely on the elf whose lifeless body she now held in her arms. She swallowed, trying to rid herself of the lump that was in her throat. She had to get to her tribe, had to tell them about the monster. Raking a slender hand through long, white, hair, she stood slowly, leaving the body where it was. And her feet slowly made their way toward Wayfarer Holt.

As she walked through the forest, her mind tried to sort out the confusing images. She was having trouble remembering her own name, and yet she could remember all these other elves that she wasn't even sure she knew. She shook her head, trying desperately to clear it. And suddenly, ShadowWalker stood in front of her. She smiled gently, clapping him on the shoulder before moving on. Or rather, she tried to move on. Her way was blocked by the chief hunter.

"'Walker, what is going on?" Her voice seemed softer than she remembered it. 

ShadowWalker just stared at her in confusion. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" His harsh voice and curt words took her by surprise, and she gazed back at him, hurt.

"I'm . . . Ebony . . . I think . . ." Her words trailed off, and she wondered why she was tempted to call herself Memory. Her head swam slightly, and she backed up until she was leaning against a tree. 'Walker just stared at her as if she had grown two heads, and she caught the feeling of a LockSend. He must be calling Windrunner, she reasoned, and smiled slightly. Windrunner would know what to do. He always did.

Finally 'Walker turned back to her, and began asking questions. Had she met any humans along the way, did she know where she was? That sort of thing. She tried to answer them patiently, but she had never been known for her patience. Especially not by this tribe. Finally, she snapped an order to 'Walker, and he just grimaced. At that moment, Windrunner appeared, followed closely by Laughter and Skeya.

* * *

Windrunner stared in askance at the pale elf beside ShadowWalker. When the chief hunter had Sent to him telling him that there was an elf here who claimed to be Ebony but that it was apparent she was not, Windrunner had not expected this. He had, at best, envisioned someone who looked vaguely like Ebony, but who had enough differences to make the others worry. Instead, he found a woman that was Ebony's opposite.

She had a waterfall of snowy hair, hair that fell to her knees. At the moment, that hair was still half caught up in a ponytail. But what was loose flowed around her shoulders, glittering in the sunlight. If it weren't for the fact that her eyes followed his every movement, he'd almost believe she was blind. And her leathers were definitely the wrong color, being a dusty grey rather than black. Of course, Windrunner had an idea that once those leathers had been white, or at the very least, a much lighter grey than they were now. Her skirt was nothing that Ebony would wear, falling only to a hand above her knees. And the top was a cutoff laced at the front. Her silver jewelry glittered in the sunlight, blinding those around her. The earrings weren't so bad, but her herringbone-style belt and anklet were overly bright. She brought a hand to her head, and three silver bracelets chimed softly in the hush of the clearing.

Her silver-grey eyes suddenly caught sight of him. She smiled, a smile that was sweet and tender, and she pushed away from the tree to walk slowly over to him. "Lifemate," she said weakly. And she passed out, slipping into his arms as he reached to catch her.

Windrunner looked over at ShadowWalker in surprise, then turned back to Laughter and Skeya. Laughter just looked confused, but Skeya seemed almost angry. "Who does she think she is?!" The green-eyed elven woman scowled, but Windrunner just smiled patiently. 

"Why don't we wait until she awakens for the answers to our questions?" 


	6. Chapter Six

Remember Me  
A Shadow Tribe Story  
Chapter Six  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

Memory/Ebony slowly awakened, enjoying the feeling of sleeping in real furs. As her eyes opened and adjusted to the darkness of the den, she wondered for a brief moment if perhaps it hadn't been a dream. She was in her own den, and her lifemate was sitting beside her, with Laughter and Skeya waiting patiently beyond him. As she turned her head to look, Windrunner seemed to waken out of his light doze.

"How do you feel?" he asked her solicitously. She stared up at him, trying to figure out why he was being more distant than usual, and she started to sit up. But her head swam at the movement, and she sank back into the covers weakly.

"I feel weak," she told him, seeing no use in trying to keep the truth from him. Unlike her father's tribe, these people would not find fault in her being weak for a bit. As soon as she thought it, she furrowed her brow, trying to figure out just where the idea had come from. But she couldn't make sense of the muddle inside of her head, so after a moment she ignored it. When she was stronger, the words would make more sense.

Windrunner nodded at her words, and smiled as Laughter brought him a small basin full of water. She saw one of Liyra's cloths in it, and smiled at Windrunner. The cool water would be just the thing for her brow. And as the cloth laid over her forehead, he would curl around her, as he always did. But instead he merely wet the cloth, dabbing gently at her forehead. "Can you tell us who you are?" His words startled her.

"What do you mean? I'm Ebony, Windrunner. You know that." She stared up at him, but he merely shook his head, reaching up to comb his fingers through her hair. And he captured a lock, bringing it around to where she could see the snow-white hair. 

"Ebony has dark curls. You cannot be her." He was still patient with her, and she looked within herself in confusion. Minutes passed, an eternity as they waited, and suddenly, the woman shuddered.

Her mind was in shambles, with snatches of memory all over. In one, she was the dark huntress angry at her lifemate. But in another she was a pale MemoryWeaver, who was hurting as her father railed at her. She couldn't make sense of it, until she saw the last memory. The memory of the two women together, one merely a dead shell in the other's arms. She wasn't Ebony. She couldn't be Ebony. Ebony was dead. She was . . . Memory.

Windrunner seemed to realize that she remembered. He didn't even wait for her answer, but merely asked another question. "Where is my lifemate?" Her eyes, which had been tracing the furs around her, shot up to lock with his. And she realized that they didn't have the same memory of Ebony that she did. She had been the one to hold Ebony's body in her arms, and she had yet to share with him. She felt trapped, frightened of what he would do.

Unable to speak, she opened her mind to him, letting him see what she remembered. Windrunner smiled for a few moments, but as the memories continued, his smile faded and his face closed off. By the time she was done, he was nothing more than a wall to her. And when he spoke, his voice was dead. "I will tell the others at the tribal meet tonight." With that, he pointedly ignored her.

As Windrunner left the den, Skeya approached her. She was about to greet the green-eyed sitter when the older elf grabbed her by the front of her tunic. "If you've hurt her," Skeya said, her words trailing off ominously. And Memory shrank in on herself, wishing suddenly that it had been her life the beast had taken, instead of her sister's. And she wished even more that she had Ebony's strength.

* * *

The tribe gathered around the clearing, and Memory sat as far from Windrunner as possible. Admittedly, that put her next to ShadowWalker, another elf she was frightened of. ShadowWalker had also been very close to Ebony. Or so the dark huntress's memories said. Memory closed her eyes, picturing the time that Ebony had asked 'Walker to teach Laughter. These were not her memories. They were precious things that should have stayed with Ebony. Instead, Memory now housed them, and she had no clue of what to do about it.

Her eyes drifted once more to her sister's lifemate, and she watched him carefully. The grief in his eyes threatened to drown the rest of the tribe. And every other member of the tribe shifted uncomfortably, knowing that something was wrong with their chief, but unable to figure out what.

"My tribe," he said, starting formally. That meant trouble. He never started formally, instead just gesturing to whoever wanted to talk. "There is a stranger within this gathering. And she brings with her news . . . ."


End file.
